Piano attachment



March 18, 1958 c. GOODMANKJR PIANO ATTACHMENT Filed July 27, 1956 INVENTOR Claude Goodman ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 2,826,951 Patented Mar. 18, 1958 PIANO ATTACHMENT Claude Goodman, In, Dallas, Tex. Application Iuly 27, 1956, Serial No. 600,570

7 Claims. (21. 84-216) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in piano attachments.

.One object of the invention is to provide an improved attachment for changing the tone of a piano and of such construction that it can be readily mounted and adjusted irrespective of the size of the piano or the spacing and arrangement of its strings.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved piano attachment having means adapted to bepositioned between the hammers and strings of a piano of the upright type to change the tone thereof, the attachment being adjustable in accordance with the length of the piano and the tone changing means being movable for registration with said hammers and strings so as to simplify installation of said attachment.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved piano attachment, of the character described, wherein the tone changing means includes a plurality of individual elements for alinement with the strings and their hammers and being mounted in a novel manner to facilitate adjustment thereof.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an improved piano attachment, of the character described, wherein the tone changing elements have enlarged inner end portions for supporting engagement within a slotted member which includes means for clamping the enlarged inner ends to hold said elements in adjusted positions.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevational view, partly in section, of a piano attachment constructed in accordance with the invention and mounted between the end walls of a piano of the upright type.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, perspective view of one of the tone changing elements,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, transverse, vertical, sectional view, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1, prior to tightening of the clamp means,

Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 3, after tightening of the clamp means.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, transverse, vertical, sectional view, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1, showing one of the end brackets of the attachment,

Fig. 6 is an exploded, perspective view of one end of the attachment, its bracket and clamp means, and

Fig. 7 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view showing the relationship of the attachment to one of the piano strings and its hammer.

In the drawing, the numeral 10 designates a piano attachment embodying the principles of the invention and being adapted to be mounted between the end walls 11 ot a piano (not shown) of the upright type. The attachmeat is designed to change the tone of the piano by interposing tone changing means between the strings 12 and hammers 13 of the piano (Fig. 7) and includes an elongated, hollow or tubular member 14, of metal or other suitable material, which may be and preferably is in the form of a cylindrical sleeve or tube. A pair of angular end brackets 15 are provided for pivotally attaching the member 14 to the end walls 11 above the hammers 13 by means of a screw 16 at one end of each bracket (Figs. 1 and 5) whereby said member may be swung toward and away from said hammers (Fig. 7). The brackets 15 have inwardly offset, inner end portions 17 and a conventional flexible cable 18 is fastened to the inner end portion of one of said brackets by a suitable clamp fitting 19, as shown most clearly in Fig. 6, for moving the attachment into and out of operative position.

A cylindrical or complementary pin 20, of wood or other suitable material, is secured to and extends transversely inward from the offset, inner end portion 17 of each bracket for telescoping engagement with the hollow interior'or bore 21 of the member 14. The pins 20 are connected to the ends of the member by suitable screws 22 whereby the length of the attachment may be adjusted in accordance with the distance between the end walls 11 of the piano. A longitudinal slot or opening 23 extends substantially throughout the length of the member for slidably supporting a plurality of tone changing elements 24 which are formed of strips of felt or other suitable flexible material.

As shown by the numeral 25 in Figs. 2-4, the inner' end portion of each tone changing element is folded or rolled upon itself for receiving a dowel or similar means 26, whereby said inner end portion is enlarged sufficiently to prevent passage thereof through the opening 23 so as to support the element and suspend the same from the member 14. A suitable tappet 27 is carried by the outer end portion of each element 24 and is formed of metal or other relatively hard material, being shown in the form of a grommet. The tappets 27 of the elements are adapted to be interposed between the piano strings 12 and hammers 13 for changing the tone thereof by striking said strings upon actuation of said hammers. As shown in broken lines in Fig. 7, the tappets are moved out of the paths of the hammers when the attachment is swung upwardly by the cable 18.

Due to the slidable mounting of the tone changing elements 24, the same are readily adjustable and may be easily registered with the strings and hammers irrespective of the arrangement and spacing of the latter. For holding the elements in adjusted positions, a clamp bar or rod 28 extends longitudinally of the bore 21 of the member 14 and is substantially coextensive with the opening 23. Preferably, the clamp bar 28 is formed of wood and is complementary to the bore 21, being cylindrical but of less diameter so as to permit relative lateral or transverse movement of said bar. A longitudinal groove or recess 29 is formed in the clamp bar for receiving the enlarged inner end portions 25 of the elements 24 so as to serve as a guide therefor and limit inward displacement thereof. It is noted that the groove 29 is substantially semi-circular in cross-section, being of a greater width and less depth than the diameter of the enlarged end portions so as to permit clamping engagement by the bar 28 and to facilitate adjustment of the elements.

The clamp bar is moved into and out of clamping engagement with the enlarged end portions of the elements 24 and the portions of the bore 21 adjacent the opening 23 by a plurality of screws 30 which are threaded in the wall of the member 14 opposite said opening so as to extend into said bore. A plurality of complementary sockets or wells 31 are mounted in the clamp bar opposite its grove 29 for receiving the inner ends of the screws 30. As shown in Fig. 3, the clamp bar 28 is movable away from the opening to permit adjustment of the tone changing elements when the screws 30 are loosened. Upon tightening of the screws, the clamp bar is moved toward the opening and into frictional engagement with the enlarged end portions 25 of the elements and the adjacent portions of the bore 21 (Fig. 4). In the event that the elements are too long or too short, the effective length of the same may be decreased or increased by rotating the tubular member about its longitudinal axis relative to the pins 20 so as to wind or unwind said elements. This rotation is permitted by the cylindrical contour of the member and pins and this adjustment is made prior to the insertion of the screws 22 or by re moval thereof. As a Tresult, the tappets 27 ofthe elements may be acurately positioned relative to the hammers 13 so as to eliminate the possibility of said elements riding over or hanging 'on said hammers.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A piano attachment including an elongated member adapted to be mounted between the end walls of a piano and having a longitudinal bore and a longitudinal opening communicating with the bore, a plurality of tone changing elements suspended transversely from the member, each element having an end portion extending through the opening into said bore and being enlarged to prevent outward displacement through said opening whereby the elements are slidably supported for adjustable movement longitudinaly of said member, and clamp means extending longitudinally within said bore for frictional engagement with the enlarged end portions to hold said elements in adjusted positions.

2. A piano attachment as set forth in claim 1 wherein the clamp means includes a bar, and means carried by said member for moving the clamp bar into and out of frictional engagement with the enlarged end portions of the tone changing elements.

3. A piano attachment as set forth in claim 2 wherein the clamp bar has a recss adjacent and substantially coextensive with the opening of the member for receiving the enlarged end portions of the elements to limit inward displacement thereof and provide a guide therefor.

4. A piano attachment as set forth in claim 2 wherein the clamp bar moving means is disposed opposite the opening of the member and includes screws having threaded connection with said member.

5. A piano attachment as set forth in claim 1 including means having telescoping connection with at least one end of the member for varying the length thereof, and means for securing said member to the telescoping means in adjusted positions.

6. A piano attachment as set forth in claim 1 wherein each tone changing element includes a strip of flexible material having tappet means on its outer end portion, the inner end portion of the strip being secured around dowel means. i

7. A piano attachment as set forth in claim 1 wherein the member is tubular, the clamp means including a clamp bar substantially complementary to the bore of said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Dawson Feb. 16, 1909 

